Unbroken Bond
by ThexShipper
Summary: What if Brain (from the Oracion Seis Arc) succeeded in turning Natsu into his loyal puppet? Now turned against his comrades, how can he be saved? Sometimes, the answer to that is simpler than they think. A heart of a true hero can never be fully evil.
1. Prologue

**A/N Hi readers! Welcome to Unbroken Bond! This is my first fanfiction, so it might be really bad. If there's any way to improve, please leave a comment! The prologue doesn't really have any actions in it, it just foreshadows what the story is going to about. Anyways, please enjoy this fanfiction on Fairy Tail!**

 _ **Prologue**_

They didn't know at the time how much they cared for each other. But it didn't matter. One day, they will open up to one another, it's just a matter of time. perhaps something – or someone – can help them realize their mutual feelings. After all, the most beautiful things always begin with a twist. As long as they believe in each other, nothing can stop them from ending up together. To us, it is a bond that can never be broken.

 **-** _ **Prologue Chapter: Captured-**_

(Natsu's POV)

 _Well…this didn't work as well as I thought. Who knew Cobra would be this strong?_

Damn it, I can't move! This is bad. I couldn't handle the Nirvana before, and now Cobra's poison isn't really helping either. I couldn't even counter Brain's attack earlier. He can easily kill me now. Is this how it's gonna end? I haven't even told her…how I felt.

No, it can't end like this. Everyone is counting on me, I can't just give up now! With great effort, I stand up, only to be hit with one of Brain's attack.

"Don't worry," he said, smirking sadistically, "I won't kill you."

"Yeah right," I countered, "can't really trust you with that smirk of yours."

To my distaste, he ignored me. "You see, I am almost down to the last of my Generals, so I will need to replace them."

"Hey, don't ignore me! You bastard!" I gagged. Ugh, I hate transportation.

Brain continued. "I have taken interest in your ability. I have great plans for you.

"Great plans? Doesn't sound so 'great' if you ask me," I manage to say before vomiting out a blast of flames. I hate my life.

"I will turn you into a loyal puppet of mine. Perfect for the new generation of the Six Generals."

"Like hell I will!" I tried to yell, but instead it came out weak. Shoot, the poison is starting to take effect. I fell to the ground, writhing in pain.

A disgusting laugh broke out from Brain. "You should be honoured to be the first one to experience the blissful darkness of the Nirvana."

I couldn't respond. How could I? My body is so weak, I can't even sit upright. So much for my bravery a few moments ago. Now I'm just a pathetic, pink-haired Dragon Slayer. I snorted at the thought. What Dragon Slayer can't even protect his comrades from danger? I slip into unconsciousness. The last thing I felt was Brain grabbing me by the scarf and dragging me towards the center of the Nirvana.

 **A/N Thank you for reading the prologue. Yes, I did combine the first chapter with the prologue due to the fact that I feel like the story would run a lot smoother that way. Sorry for the inconvenience!**


	2. Chapter 1

**A/N Welcome back to "Unbroken Bond"! Now that I changed the way of things, hopefully it would be a lot better for you guys to read. Please still note that this takes place before the prologue.**

 _Chapter 1: Hard Choices_

(Lucy's POV)

 _It all happened too fast…_

I wonder if Wendy and Charles are okay. She hasn't been the same since she…revived Jellal, and Hibiki did mention how negative emotions can force a person to switch sides between good and evil. I can only hope that Wendy is out of the range of Nirvana's influence. I shivered at the thought, remembering how Sherry-san acted a few minutes ago due to the Nirvana. I hold on to my thoughts as we wander the eerie city known as the Nirvana.

Hearing Natsu vomit snapped me back to focus. I look back to see him kneeling on the floor. Well, that's Natsu for you. He's hopeless when it comes to transportation.

"Hey, can't you control yourself a bit more?" Gray said.

"It's not like I want to have motion sickness!" Natsu replied in between gasps of breath.

Gray snorted. "Careful, or you might drown us all in your vomit."

"Th-that's just gross, Gray," I said, making a disgusted face. "Watch your mouth a bit for the readers, won't you?"

Happy smiled like the little devil he is. "But that means there's going to be fish! They can swim in Natsu's vomit!"

"That's what you're thinking?!" I yelled, weirded out by the thought.

Honestly, I should be used to it by now. We probably have the same kind of conversation every single day; maybe that's why I didn't think twice about this particular moment. I didn't realize how much I will miss these comical moments until things go wrong…

A deep laugh sounded from the front of the group, it was Hoteye, the reformed General. You know, he's not all that bad now that he's turned good. Jura-san joined that chorus of laughter. And eventually, all of us were laughing at our conversation. You see, I don't think I will ever find a guild that's quite like Fairy Tail; it's such a warm, welcoming guild. After a while, our laughter died down.

Suddenly, Hoteye froze, his eyes narrowing as he looked around.

"I sense another General," he explained, then he sucked in a breath. "It's Midnight's aura."

From what I know, Midnight was the most mysterious wizard in Oracion Seis, though possibly capable of being stronger than Brain. Then I felt it too, the feeling felt like being trapped in a coffin. I started to shake. It wasn't like any fear I've felt, it was so…sinister. Apparently, I wasn't the only one who felt this way. Jura-san, Gray, and Happy started to widen their eyes in confusion and fear. Only Natsu stood his ground, fearless, waiting for the enemy to approach us. I can tell that he's…

"Now I'm all fired up!" Natsu grinned, cracking his knuckles; his motion sickness forgotten. And that is why I love Natsu so much.

(Natsu's POV)

The thought of fighting Midnight snapped me out of my motion sickness. I've been waiting for a good opponent, and now I have the perfect opportunity to do so.

As Midnight appeared, I threw a fire punch at him. To my surprise, it didn't hit. No, wait, it was more like my fire _avoided_ him. Okay, now I'm angry. He didn't even flinch at my attack, for goodness' sake!

"Hey, whatever-your-name-is, how 'bout you fight me with some dignity? I hope you're not scared," I taunted him, hoping to get some type of reaction out of him.

He smiled. "Why don't you come at me, punk."

I growled and prepared to charge at him when Hoteye suddenly stepped in front of me.

"What are you doing?" I demanded, impatient with fury for Midnight's calm attitude.

Hoteye turned to me. "I'll handle him, you guys go ahead and defeat the rest of the Generals."

"Wait, you can't do that!" Lucy stepped up. "Midnight is most likely stronger than any of us! You know that's true."

Midnight chuckled. "You might want to listen to the little girl, she's right, traitor."

I grit my teeth. Darn it, we're in a tight situation right now, not to mention my frustration with Midnight. Argh, I hate making hard choices!

"Oh, and for your information, Father is going to destroy Cait Shelter, which is straight ahead." Midnight continued. "Though that's going to take half a day to reach, so take your time deciding."

No way, Wendy's guild is straight ahead?! Well then, this situation just got a lot worse. I can tell that the others are thinking the same things. Even though she's a Dragon Slayer, she is still a child. The pain of having her guild destroyed will be more than she could take. I cannot let her feel that amount of pain.

My old fury for Midnight extinguished, and a new anger sparked in me. It tells me to protect the ones I treasure. I glance at Lucy and knew that I had to protect her as well, with my life if I have to. In just a moment, the answer became clear.

"You guys stay here, I'll take care of Brain," I said. 'And anyone else who gets in my way.' I silently add.

"What? No, idiot!" Gray yelled, clearly upset with my choice.

I level him with a determined look, or so I think. "Gray, I am a _Dragon Slayer_. If I can't even protect my friends from a power that can't ever compare to one of a dragon, what good am I?" I break into a grin, my confidence growing with every word. "If you know me well enough, you know that I'm not changing my mind once I've decided on something. So, let me take on Brain, Gray."

Gray closed his eyes for a moment, then smiled. "Really, what am I going to do with you." He opened his eyes. "Natsu, you better come back safely. It's a promise! When we go back to the guild, we are going to continue our rivalry match!"

I return the smile. "Yeah, it's a promise, my rival." Then I turned to Lucy, who is looking at me with an encouraging smile.

"Go get 'em, Natsu," she said, giving me a thumbs up. "We believe in you!"

"Don't forget about me, Natsu!" Happy called. "I'm definitely coming with you!"

"C'mon then, partner!"

With a last thumbs up to them, I start heading towards the center of the Nirvana, but not before turning back to the group and saying, "I'll bring back some souvenirs!"

And with that note, me and Happy are off to find Brain. Little did I know, the promises that I made are going to be harder to keep than I thought.

 **A/N Thank you for reading another chapter of Unbroken Bonds! As always, I'll try to update as soon as possible. See you later~**


	3. Chapter 2

**A/N Hello readers! Welcome to the official chapter two of Unbroken Bond. Please note that during this story, the fight between Midnight, Erza, and Jellal still takes place, but I will not actually feature the whole scene (lol I'm quite lazy).**

 _ **Chapter 2: Illusion**_

(Lucy's POV)

 _Good bye, my love..._

I watch as Natsu ran towards the center of the Nirvana. Part of me wishes to go with him, though I also realize that he would refuse to let me risk myself. Honestly, he's so selfless, he probably won't even realize he's going to die if it meant he saved someone else's life – not that I would ever let him die while I'm here. That is why I love him so much. I even decided that I was going to confess my feelings for him after we destroy the Nirvana.

As Natsu completely disappears, I turn back towards Midnight, our current enemy. I clench my hands into fists, knowing that the sooner we defeat him, the faster we can reunite with Natsu. I hold out one of the golden zodiac keys.

"Oh, you're a Celestial wizard just like Angel? How interesting…" Midnight mused.

"By the Gate of the Archer, I open thee! Sagittarius!" I summoned.

"At your service, moshi-moshi!" the spirit in the horse costume said.

"Sagittarius, aim for Midnight!" I commanded.

Sagittarius raised his bow and arrow and shot toward Midnight. Like Natsu's attack, this one was rendered useless as well.

"Ice-make: Lance!" Gray shouted, but the magic was deflected once again.

Suddenly, my clothes begin to tighten. I let out a gasp of breath at the sudden loss of air. I can feel my ribs tightening by the pressure.

"Lucy, what's wrong?" Gray asked, unaffected by whatever is happening to me.

"My clothes are tightening!" I barely manage to choke out.

From a distance, I can feel Midnight snicker. Hoteye appears behind him and begin to soften the ground. Midnight looked startled as he sunk into the concrete, frantically looking around to find something to hold on to. Then the ground hardened, trapping Midnight.

As Midnight was immobilized, my clothes began to loosen until I can finally catch my breath again. I let out a sigh of relief as I collect myself. We did it. We beat Midnight. I long to see Natsu, even though time has barely passed. Perhaps we overestimated our opponent a bit too much.

"C'mon, let's go meet up with Natsu!" I said, excited to see him again. But out of nowhere, Midnight appeared in front of us.

"Seems like you lot got a bit too cocky," he teased. With a flick of his hand, monsters surrounded us.

"Ice-make: Hammer!" Gray shouted.

To our surprise, the attack literally went through the monster. It then lounged, hitting Gray and knocking him a few feet back.

"Sagittarius, aim for the monsters!" I said.

The arrows hit nothing. And the monsters went for the Celestial Spirit, who went back to the Spirit Realm after taking the damage.

"What are these things?!" Jura-san exclaimed.

I could see one of those monsters step up and jump at me. I screamed, piercing through the very air around us.

(Erza's POV)

What was that? A scream? It seems that Jellal heard the noise too. We glance at each other and ran toward the source of the whatever it is that made the sound.

Up close, I could sense an incredibly evil aura. Beside me, Jellal sucked in a breath.

"This magic…" Jellal's voice fading away.

"Yeah, it's…incredible, but evil," I finished.

I take Jellal's hand and lead him toward the magical aura only to find Midnight standing calmly to one side. I follow his eyes to see Lucy, Gray, Jura-san, and one of the General standing, eyes open wide.

"Lucy, Gray!" I call out to them, but they don't seem to hear me. In fact, now that I look closely, their eyes are blank.

"What did you do to them?" I glared at Midnight.

He raised his arms, palms facing me. "Why, I only put them into an illusion."

"You fiend! Release them right now!" I yelled.

Midnight clicked his tongue. "Come on, they're only having a wonderful _nightmare_!"

I swung my sword at him, only to have it be deflected. Darn it, this bastard is going to be difficult to defeat…

 **Hello, readers! Sorry to interrupt, just a note that the fight between Erza, Jellal and Midnight takes place right here. Now please, continue the story.**

(Lucy's POV)

I'm gasping for breath, pain being my only sensation. How is this possible?! We weren't able to hit those monsters with a single attack, yet they could hurt us with no problem! Exhausted, I fell to my knees. I can tell that the others are just as tired. Just as the monsters lounge at us once again, the world…shattered. Like a stain-glassed window, the colorful pieces shattered, falling away to a new world. Then everything came back to focus and I saw Erza and Jellal kneeling on the floor ,panting. Beside them lay a defeated Midnight. I look around me and realized everyone was just also confused as to what just happened.

"Jellal…why are you here?" Gray asked bitterly.

Erza stood and put herself in front of Jellal, hiding him from our view

"He's not our enemy anymore," she stated calmly.

As confused as I was, I somehow understood. Plus, there were more important problems than this.

"Erza, what happened here?" I asked, gesturing to the battle field around us.

"You were all trapped inside an illusion created by Midnight. When we defeated him, the spell was broken," she replied.

"Well, I thank you, brave girl!" Hoteye smiled warmly at Erza, coming closer to hug her.

She held out a hand, rejecting the hug, saying, "W-what is this?"

"My eyes were opened by the Nirvana!" Hoteye explained. "Now I no longer seek wealth and fame…I seek _love~!_ "

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Gray cover his mouth, giggling. Then I heard Erza cough to cover up a laugh.

"Anyways, where's Natsu?" Erza asked when she regained to composure.

"That _baka_ left to take care of Brain himself," Gray answered.

Jellal's eyes widened. I might've imagined it, but I thought there was a hint of recognition in his expression.

Erza smiled, "As expected of Natsu. Come on, let's go join him." But just as she said that, she fell to her knees.

"Erza!" I ran to her side, "You're too weak from fighting with Midnight! You and Jellal stay here. The rest of us can check on Natsu."

I can tell she wanted to argue, but settled down, probably knowing that she needed to rest too. I gave to a reassuring smile and gestured for the others to follow me towards the center of the Nirvana, towards Natsu.

In my mind, I think, ' _I'm coming, Natsu._ '


	4. Chapter 3

**A/N Hi readers! This chapter might be slightly shorter than the other chapters (longer than the prologue though), but hopefully you'll still enjoy it! Also, this is the chapter where things get interesting…**

 _ **Chapter 3: Reborn**_

(Natsu's POV)

 _Run away from me…_

I wake up to the sounds of the Nirvana's footsteps, tearing down the trees wherever it lands.

'What a great way to wake up,' I remarked in my head.

As I become more aware of my surroundings, I realize that I am tied up in ropes that seem to be blocking me from using my magic.

"I see you're awake," a baritone voice said.

My head snaps up and turn towards the voice. It was Brain. All of a sudden, everything came back to me. That's right, I left Lucy in order to stop Brain from destroying Cait Shelter by myself but I was first interrupted by Cobra. Damn him, he was a lot stronger than I thought – who knew he was also a Dragon Slayer like Laxus. It took me and Happy basically all of our magic power to beat Cobra. And by the time we succeeded, Happy was too exhausted to fly, so I had to land back on the Nirvana.

At the thought of it, I threw up. Right, I'm still on transportation. Screw my motion sickness! I look back up at Brain, who is grinning like the sadist he is.

"What are you grinning at, you bastard?" I growled, the restraints being the only thing to stop me from destroying the very ground beneath us. Once again, Brain ignored me. Instead, he began to chant, though I can't even begin to understand whatever the hell he's saying – not a single word. Then, I felt the stage beneath me quake. Helpless, I could only watch as a black streak of light descend upon me from the sky. I feel it as the darkness seep into my very skin, darkening everything inside me. I scream in agony, unable to think, or do anything else. The darkness is rushing through my body, changing me. At this rate, I'm going to lose myself in darkness.

' _But really…why struggle?'_ A part of me thought. Then I realized.

The Nirvana is only giving me the pleasure that I had always longed for. I can feel the bliss taking away the naïve little boy who wanted to find his dragon father. Taking away the stupid boy who feared any type of transportation. Taking away the foolish boy who would do anything for his guild. Taking away the lovesick boy who fell for a girl, whatever he saw in her. I am a new person. I am reborn as the servant for Master Brain. I feel my fire grow stronger. The darkness is giving me the power and strength that I have always wanted. Only the darkness can fulfill my needs and desires. I am the flame, the darkness.

It seems so stupid to me that I was fighting this wonderful feeling now. There was absolutely nothing to worry about.

The pillar of black light vanished, and so did the restrains. As I stand up, I see a man standing in front of me. It is Brain, my master, the man who I would do anything to please.

' _Kill anyone who stands in my way, my loyal servant.' I hear in my mind, clear as the night. I grin, eagerly awaiting a bloodbath._

(Lucy's POV)

As Gray, Hoteye, Jura-san, and I run towards the center of the Nirvana, where a stage-like form was, I hear a familiar voice.

"Lucy!"

We stop and turn to see Happy flying – or rather, stumbling through the air – towards us. I caught him just as his wings disappeared. I can tell he pretty much used up all his energy.

"What happened, Happy?" I asked, frantic. "Where's Natsu?"

"H-he was caught by Brain!" Happy said weakly, shuttering. Looking closely, it seems like he was poisoned.

Gray sighed. "That's what he gets for acting like a hero. Really, I knew he's the type of person to have the worst luck."

My heart dropped. It can't be…Natsu's in danger!

Just as I thought that, a pillar of dark light came down from the sky, down to the stage. At that moment, I should have known that something was going to go horribly wrong. But I was confused and scared of that darkness in front of me.

"What is that?" An astonished Jura-san asked.

"This feeling…it's the Nirvana's ultimate power," Hoteye answered, "The ability to control somebody's will on command. It is given to whoever rules the Nirvana."

This means-

I didn't get to finish the thought.

"Natsu!" I whispered to myself.

I stand up with Happy in my arms and run towards the stage.

"Hey, Lucy, wait up!" Gray called after me.

But I didn't stop. I didn't care. The only thing that mattered to me was that Natsu is in danger and I needed to go help him. As I near the stage, I can sense that something was wrong. Very wrong. The air around me smelled foul, like the air was darkness itself. Carefully, I step through the fog to see Brain standing on one of the tattered, broken up structures, looking down at me.

I clench my fists. "Brain, where is Natsu?!" I yelled, fuming.

But instead of answering my question, he said, "I brought you guys a present…"

"I don't care for presents right now. Answer my question!"

"Oh, you'll care about this particular gift. Enjoy it!"

And with that, he was gone. What stood in his pace was a boy with spiky hair colored like a Sakura tree's leaves, a blood thirsty grin painted on his face. I cover my gaping mouth with both of my hands, eyes tearing up. I suddenly feel like my knees can't support me any longer. I fall to the ground, on the verge of crying. What is this?! I couldn't believe what I am seeing right now.

"Hello, Lucy, are you looking for me?"

It was Natsu. He stood in front of me. But I knew something was different about him. It was a Natsu that I couldn't recognize anymore. I feel the others coming up behind me, only to stop short when they see what I saw.

It was Gray who spoke, breaking the silence.

" Natsu…what happened to you..."

 **A/N Thank you for reading another chapter of Unbroken Bond! Sorry that this chapter is short, but the moment that you've been waiting for is finally here! I'll be updating shortly!**


	5. Chapter 4

**A/N Hi readers! Sorry I didn't update for the last two days, but now I'm back! I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

 _ **Chapter 4: Useless**_

(Gray's POV)

 _Well, things could have gone better for us…_

I couldn't believe what was displayed in front of me. Sure, it was Natsu, but at the same time, it's not. The aura that he is giving off right now was not flourished with his determination and passion. It was evil, anticipating for a massacre. Clearly, the Nirvana did something to him.

Then I remembered, how there was a streak of dark power descending from the crimson night sky. Hoteye said something about the user of the Nirvana being able to change anyone, though I can't really see how Natsu can succumb to darkness. But I suppose it wouldn't matter either way if the Nirvana can really turn anyone to evil. Their psychological state wouldn't matter then, would it?

"Natsu, are you so weak-minded as to let the Nirvana toy with your mind?" I taunt coolly, meeting his eyes to get a glimpse beyond whatever mask he is forced to wear.

With a tinge of surprise, I realize that their fire were no longer bright and hopeful. It was eerily black and power-hungry. There was no hint of the warmth he used to show, replaced with a strange blankness.

"You are mistaken, I share the Nirvana's power," Natsu said simply, but his eyes start to narrow in a resentful manner. "I only obey Master Brain."

"Snap out of it, Natsu!" Lucy cried.

Behind us, Hoteye and Jura-san are quiet. It feels awkward having the two around, honestly.

"Hoteye, Jura-san, you go take care of Brain," I order, turning towards them. "We'll follow when we get settled here."

They nod and start to depart. Before they could get far, though, Natsu throws a fireball at them. To block it, Jura-san creates a wall to block the attack right before it hit. Natsu then disappears and reappears behind the two, attacking once again.

This time, neither of them could block the attack. After being hit, Jura-san and Hoteye clatter to the ground, defeated. Triumphant, Natsu teleports back to his original spot on top of the building. I take that chance to freeze that building and cause Natsu to slip and fall down from it.

"Oh, you'll pay for that, Gray!" Natsu said menacingly when he got up.

I secretly feel relieved by that sentence. Despite everything, he almost sounded like his old self. Maybe the Nirvana didn't completely change Natsu, seeing how he is still as hot headed as before.

"I doubt it, weakling," I retort.

In all truths though, I don't know how long I can keep this up. Knowing Natsu, he's stubborn. I can only hope that Natsu will be weakened enough for Lucy to get through and defeat Brain and stop the Nirvana.

"Natsu, please stop!" Lucy called out, pleading.

It pains me to hear her so desperate. But I have no other choices. In order to bring Natsu back, I would have to defeat him first.

Natsu, however, seem unaffected by the girl's pleads. Coldly, he said, "Be patient, Lucy. I'll get to you after I dispose of this trash."

Despite being an Ice Wizard, my blood boiled.

"Who are you calling 'trash'?!" my voice was dark, intertwined with anger at Natsu.

"None other than you, of course."

That did it. I charged at Natsu, blinded by anger. I use ice to attack him, only to be melted when they get too close. Perhaps I should've thought about this more wisely than I did…

(Lucy's POV)

I feel my heart break every time Gray and Natsu attack each other. While the Fire and Ice Wizards always made a big show of their rivalry against each other, this was nothing like it. Even though I can tell that Gray is trying to hold back, it's hard doing so when Natsu is firing away mercilessly, their friendship forgotten.

In a situation like this, I feel useless. I can't think of anything that can stop this pointless fight. They shouldn't be fighting each other anyways, they should be fighting together! How did this happen? If only I'd gone with Natsu in the first place, but then I'll just be in everyone's way again.

I bite my lips, holding back my tears. I'm always the one who gets protected, standing back as my friends and comrades protect me. Even if it was my fault in the first place that everyone is getting hurt, they still do everything in their power to help me. They don't even blame me for anything! This situation is just as bad as the incident with the Phantom Lords.

'Lucy, you really are pathetic,' I tell myself.

Then I felt danger.

Looking up, I saw a ball of fire coming towards me. Realizing too late, I could only crouch down, curl into a ball, and close my eyes. I wait for my doom, shaking in fear.

It doesn't come.

I feel something cool and smooth instead. I look up to see a block of ice, made from Gray, who was panting at the effort of shielding me from the attack. All too fast, he was engulfed in flames. The ice beside me broke into tiny shards while he screamed in pain.

"Gray!" I screamed, running over to him.

"Stay back!" he warned, holding a hand out to stop me in my path.

"Use your ice to block the fire!" I suggest.

A moment later, it dawned on me. The fire that Natsu use now is different from before. The darkness molded his fire into something stronger, more destructive. Worse, Gray is too weak to use his magic.

And it's all because of me.

(Natsu's POV)

For as long as I can remember, Gray was always on equal level with me. Every time we fought to figure out who was stronger, we would always tie. When I shoot fire at him, he would meet it with his ice. I was frustrated by my lack of strength, my inability to beat Gray. But that is not the case now. The Nirvana strengthened my flames, giving it powers it never had before. It also gave me a new confidence I didn't recognize. I felt as if I could beat anyone who got in my way, even Erza.

Gray is starting to tire – it's pretty obvious – and running out of magic, while I continuously throw fire at him. The action felt so effortless, unlike before. Now, it was a simple as talking and breathing. The more I embrace the darkness, the stronger I become. It's just so much easier that way, letting it think for me.

"Ice-make: Lance!"

I block the attack easily, laughing at the dark-haired wizard's silly attempts in defeating me.

' _Use that bystander girl right there to your advantage,'_ the voice in my head told me.

Turning towards the girl I had known as Lucy, I throw a ball of fire at her. As soon as I released it, I felt a strange ache in my heart. As quick as it appeared, it was swept away by darkness, as if it had never existed in the first place.

I watch as Gray use the last of his strength to create a wall of ice for Lucy. I take it as a chance to burn him alive. His screams become music in my ears.

' _That's it, enjoy the scene…'_

The fire keeps burning, hotter and hotter. It burns until Gray can no longer muster the strength to scream. I begin to laugh at the pitiful scene. This is the moment that I've been waiting for all along. After all this time, I finally beat my rival.

' _This isn't the same, though.'_ A small part of me thought. But the voice was so weak in my head, it meant nothing compared to the controlling voice.

To my surprise, the fire stops burning, extinguished. I look around the area, looking for the culprit that stole my fun, when I realized that it was me who stopped the fire.

Gray fell to the ground, unconscious.

' _Huh, I wonder what happened,'_ I thought.

' _At least we got rid of one of them,'_ the voice said. ' _Now you just need to kill the girl.'_

I hesitate. Some parts of me tells me that what I am doing isn't right, that the girl in front of me is precious, that I need to protect her. But it's so distant, like a mirage in a desert.

' _Do it!'_ the voice urged on.

I shake my head. Why did I hesitate? My head become blank again, remembering that I only need to obey the voice, not to question it.

It seems like forever when Lucy seem to remember that I was here. She looked up at me.

"Natsu…what happened to you?" she asked, her voice thick with emotion.

I don't respond. Instead, I walk slowly towards her, wondering what type of scream she'll make when I torture her


	6. Chapter 5

A/N Hello, readers! Sorry for the delays of the chapters. As of lately, I've been busy, so the updates are starting to become less consistent. However, I have no intentions of giving up on writing Unbroken Bonds, so don't worry about that. Anyways, I hope you enjoy this chapter!

Chapter 5: Comrades

(Lucy's POV)

It's now or never...

I watch as Natsu stalk towards me, like a predator cornering its prey, toying with it. I am crouched down beside Gray, who is barely able to breathe. Jura-san and Hoteye are unconscious a few feet apart from us.

I want to question Natsu for his actions so badly, but I know it won't mean a thing. Brain has turned him into a General that only listens to his orders and I have no idea how I'm going to save him. Meanwhile, Natsu is itching to kill me – no, torture me. That's what he's become, except that I still believe that he is not completely gone. I want to believe that the Natsu I know and love is still in there somewhere. I know he is.

"Lucy, run away from here..." Gray croaked.

"You think I would let anyone get away?" Natsu interrupted, standing before us.

I rise and put myself in front of Gray protectively. I'm tired of having others protect me, helping me, getting hurt because of me. This time, I'm going to protect my comrades with everything I have, even if it means using my life.

Natsu seems amused by my bravery. He raised one eyebrow, still grinning. Aside from the pitch black eyes, he looked like his usual self; my heart aches. I long to put my arms around his shoulders and meet his lips with mine.

'Now is not the time, Lucy!' I warned myself.

"Natsu, you can still stop," I tell him. "We don't need to fight!"

He didn't reply. Instead, he reached out and grabbed me by the throat with his all-too-warm hand. I tried to get out of reach, but it was too late. Natsu's hand become warmer and warmer, until my throat feels like it's on fire. I writhe in pain, a silent scream stuck in my throat, unable to be set free. The hand around my throat tightens until the skin beneath starts to bruise.

My vision become blurred, black around the edges. I feel weak – probably from the lack of oxygen – and feel myself slipping away.

"Natsu, don't lose yourself in darkness..." I whisper, barely audible.

I don't even know if saying that would make a difference, but somehow, I don't want to give up the hope that Natsu can still be saved.

Is this how I'm going to die?

The hand strangling me disappears and I drop to the ground, coughing and sputtering. For a moment, I was hopeful. I thought that I finally got through to the boy I love. I was wrong.

"C'mon, get up," Natsu ordered. "It'd be no fun if you were to die so easily."

I flinch at his tone of voice. Ironically, the Fire Wizard's voice is as cold of as ice. There was no hint of warmth or recognition in his voice.

After I recovered, I held out a golden key.

"Gate of the Lion, I open thee! Leo!"

I watch as Loke appear, the black suit constantly present.

'Loke, are you capable of combat?" I ask.

"Yeah, I'm all healed up," he replied.

"Good, because things might get a bit complicated."

"So, you're finally going to fight, Lucy," Natsu piped in.

Realizing that Natsu was here, Loke turned around. He looked back and forth between Natsu and me in confusion.

"If you ain't gonna attack, then I will!" Natsu charged at Loke.

"Loke, watch out!" I called.

He snapped out of his confusion and met Natsu's attack with a regulus.

"What happened to Natsu?" Loke asked.

"The Nirvana turned Natsu against us, he's not himself right now," I explained.

"Well, that sucks, doesn't it?" Loke sighed. "Okay then, leave it to me, m'lady."

(Brain's Story)

Another line disappears on his face, signifying another General's defeat. It must be Richard, the General who now fight for so-called 'love' thanks to the Nirvana. Perhaps in another lifetime, his other personality would be set free already, but now, it is different. After all, he has Natsu, his new key to Zero's lock. As long as he is controlled by darkness, the seal will stay intact. Should Natsu be defeated, the seal will be broken, and he will be set free.

As of now, Brain observes the Lacrima crystal anxiously, pacing back and forth. He watches as Natsu fight his own comrades, ready to step in if Natsu showed any signs of weakness. Thankfully, the General shows no sign of losing this fight so far.

'I didn't know you were into these types of methods.'

'I'm only doing this because that boy has such great potential, I would be a fool not to bring him to my side.'

'Still, I like this scene. It's like watching a wolf pack tear each other apart!'

'Go back to where you belong, or I'll force you to.'

'Alright, alright! No need to be so aggressive~'

Silence followed. He sighed. The seal may be secure still, but it is on the verge of giving away, with Natsu being the only thing in the path of Zero's revival. The man shook his head. It would be a massacre if Zero was in control of the Nirvana instead of him.

(Lucy's POV)

I would call out another Celestial Spirit, but I'm growing weaker by the second. Loke is strong, being the leader of the twelve zodiacs and all, but it also means that he uses a lot of magic energy. At his rate, the Nirvana will reach Cait Shelter before anyone can do anything, and Wendy is still nowhere to be seen. Darn it, it takes enough effort for me just to stand upright.

"Lucy, hang in there!" Loke called, turning his head towards me.

Natsu crackled. "Turning away from your opponent during a fight? It seems that you're underestimating me."

With incredible speed, Natsu closed the distance between the two and managed to knock Loke down, with Natsu on top of him.

"Loke!" I cry out. "Go back to the Spirit Realm!"

"I can't do that, Lucy..." he managed to say. "Or you'll be in danger."

Natsu's arm burst into flames, creeping towards Loke, who is struggling to free of Natsu's iron grip. I can tell that Loke is in pain, probably more than he is showing. And I'm pretty much out of magic, which means Loke won't be able to fight back anymore. If only I was stronger, then I would be able to help Loke. Why is that? Why can't I be stronger? Why can't I save my comrades?

"Lucy..." Loke called softly. "Run."

"It wouldn't make a difference either way," Natsu said sarcastically. "I can track anyone with my nose, did you forget?"

"Please, Natsu, just spare Lucy..." Loke pleaded.

Natsu tilted his head, smirking. "And why would I do that, moron?"

Taking his free hand, he punched the Spirit in the stomach, the smirk growing even more insane when Loke grunted in pain.

"Because," Loke breathed. "She is your comrade!"

Natsu's flames grew to the point where the two were completely engulfed by it.

"Not anymore, that was in the past."

I might've imagined it, but I thought that Natsu's voice wavered a bit. I took this as my chance to help Loke.

"Leo, forced gate closure!"

"No, Lucy, you can't!" Loke argued. But it was too late, the gate was already opened. Without another second, he disappeared.

I fall to my knees, exhausted. It seems like I have used up my magic, which isn't much of a surprise considering that all that I've been through in the past few hours. I'm in no condition to put up a good fight now, but I think I can still buy some time for others to recover slightly. At least I'll be of use to them, even if it's not much.

"That was a stupid move, don't you think?" Natsu mocked, standing up and slowly walking towards me, one of his arms still covered in flames. "Now you're completely helpless."

"Natsu, this isn't you," I murmur. "Don't give up so easily."

The Dragon Slayer laughed. "Still not letting it go, huh? Maybe I'll just finish you off as a show of pity."

I want to believe in Natsu that he can still overcome the urges to do Brain's bidding. I want to believe that the boy I love is still in there somewhere. I will never stop believing in Natsu, even if it will be the end of me. Maybe being killed by someone I love...wouldn't be that bad of a way to die. Still, there's still something I need to say.

"I love you, Natsu."

A/N Thank you for reading this chapter. I'll try my best to update another chapter as soon as possible, but please forgive me if I don't. Bye~


	7. Chapter 6

**A/N Hi, readers! Welcome back to Unbroken Bond! I am terribly sorry for the delay, but the chapter is finally here! Anyways, I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

 _ **Chapter 6: Moment**_

(Erza's POV)

 _What do you remember about me?_

Damn it, why the hell did I end up staying behind with Jellal?! Now things are super awkward. Thank goodness Jellal lost his memories, at least now he won't mention anything that happened in the Tower of Heavens. Oh, but what if he asks me about his past, or worse, mine? What would I say then? It's a good thing he's silent right now, I guess the fight with Midnight really took a toll on him.

Come to think of it, the Jellal sitting beside me is nothing like who he was when he killed Simon. It was almost like before, when all of us were just slaves working for the resurrection of Zeref. He was amazing back then, like the sun that sustains the world's life.

I shake my head. Why am I thinking about all this right now? There are more important matters than this. The others went to reunite with Natsu, and Wendy left after healing me from Cobra's poison. Ah right, where is Wendy anyways? I hope she's safe…

You see, that is exactly why I dislike staying put. My mind wanders aimlessly, without a destination or goal. Not that there's anything to gain from charging forward while I'm still injured. Luckily, Jellal is seemingly lost in his own thoughts, too, so he didn't see how conflicted I was. Well, I suppose there is nothing I can do right now but to wait for the others. I might as well have a little chat with Jellal while I can.

"Jellal-" I started, but a sudden streak of dark light descended on to the stage in the town center. Whatever I was going to say was forgotten as I stare, dumbfounded, by the extremely powerful aura that the light gave off. A thousand thoughts went through my head, wondering what the hell is going on there. Whatever that energy is, it's not good.

When the light died down, I stood up form the rock I was sitting at.

"What was that?" I asked, more to myself than Jellal.

"I-I don't know," Jellal replied, looking just as surprised as I felt.

Immediately, I thought of my friends. They are all heading towards there! I didn't realize I started running towards them until Jellal grabbed my wrist.

"Wait!" he called. "You're still not fully healed yet!"

I turned. "But they might be in danger."

"Even if _we_ went there, we'd just be in the way with the state we're in." he pointed out, his voice soft and apologetic now. "We need to believe in them."

He's not wrong. The fight between us and Midnight was enough to wear us out, so even if we did join the battle – or whatever is going on there – the rest would need to protect us. In that case, we would be more helpful for the enemy rather than our comrades. I was so worried about my friends that I wasn't able to think rationally about this, but now that I've calmed down a bit, I could see the reason behind Jellal's words.

"You're right," I said after a long pause. "We should stay put and believe that they will succeed."

I sat back down, and Jellal sat beside me. He gave me a small, reassuring smile, which I return.

"Oh, by the way," he said. "What were you going to say?"

"Huh?" I asked, startled by the question. "Oh, that!"

I feel my face flush with color at the thought of it. "Ah, just forget about it. It's nothing important."

After all that has happened, my question would sound dumb. There was no way he'll like me if I asked him – wait, what did I just think?! Of course he wouldn't mind, or would he? Ugh, why does he make me feel this flustered? He'll hate me for questioning his memories of me!

Suddenly, a warm hand is placed on top of mine. I turn to look at Jellal, who is smiling warmly at me. I feel my face redden even more at the sight of it. But on the outside, I was simply returning another smile. Just for this moment, I ignore all the sins that Jellal has committed. Just for now, I want this moment to last forever.

(Natsu's POV)

"I love you, Natsu," the girl in front of me said, her brown eyes bright with un-shed tears. As soon as she said it, she fell to the ground, looking like she's going to faint at any moment.

I froze. This girl…there's something about her that made me feel – I don't know – heartbroken? The words she spoke echoed within my mind.

 _I love you, Natsu…_

 _I love you, Natsu…_

 _I love you, Natsu…_

Those words shouldn't mean anything to me, yet I feel like they mean the world to me. Is that why I'm hesitating right now? Because there's more to this girl than meets the eye?

" _Finish her off, Natsu!"_ The voice commanded.

But I couldn't. A part of me didn't want to obey the voice, the darkness that fed me pleasure. That part of me was growing stronger by the second, no longer tainted with twisted desires. It was as if the colors of a monochrome world suddenly filled with colors. The blonde that I felt no attachment to before suddenly became recognizable, even with all the scratches and wounds she has. With a start, I realized that I was the one who inflicted them.

What have I done…

(Lucy's POV)

As soon as the words leave my mouth, my legs gave away. Well, I just about used up all of my energy. But at least I have no regrets now, even if there are a whole lot more wishes I could grant myself if this wasn't happening, not that it matters.

I slowly close my eyes, a single tear tolling down my cheeks. Natsu's fire is going to burn me until nothing is left but ashes and bones, but at least it'll be a quick death. Instead of hearing myself scream though, I hear a droplet of water. My eyes snap open to see Natsu crying.

"Lucy…" he whispered, all hostility gone, replaced with what seems to be regret.

Within moments, I was crying with him, though mine were the tears of happiness. Natsu dropped to his knees in front of me and pulled me into an embrace.

"Welcome back, Natsu," I murmured.

"Lucy, I'm so sorry…I-I didn't know what I was doing."

I put a finger to his lips, silencing him. "I'm just glad you're back."

Really, I am.

I didn't realize we started kissing until I felt the warmth surround me, easing my pain. I pull closer to him, wanting to be submitted into the familiar heat. Our lips meet and part, like the waves of the ocean caressing the sand on a beach. Even without his words, I realized that he felt the same for me too.

The taste of salt bloomed on my taste buds. They were tears of relief and remorse. Time stopped, with us holding on to each other, unwilling to let go. The scent of Natsu – the smell of firewood – comforted me, similar to a mother's hushings. I want this moment to last, so we can just stay like this…forever.

Everything else seems to be drowned out, as if we were sinking. Sinking forever, deeper and deeper.

"What a touching scene," somebody said underwater, barely audible.

I feel Natsu's muscles tense beneath my touch. Then reality hit me, and I was pulled out of the embracing ocean. All the worries that was buried beneath layers of relief suddenly rose. I feel myself turning towards the third wheel with hatred I didn't know I could muster.

"Brain…" Natsu spat bitterly, shaking with anger beside me.

But something looks off. Brain's carefully straightened hair was now loose. The white parts of his eyes are disturbingly red, as if they were bleeding. The black lines that was on his face before was now absent. Even the look in his eyes are different. Before, he had the eyes of a calculating and controlling Alpha, but now, he has the murderous glint of a hungry predator that has lost all sense of right and wrong.

"I'm not Brain," he growled like an impatient savage. "My name is Zero."

 **A/N Well, that's it for this chapter. I hope to update more frequently from now on. And as always, thank you for reading this chapter!**


	8. Chapter 7

**A/N Hello readers! Welcome back to Unbroken Bond. I apologize for not being able to update as frequently as before, but still, I'll try my best to make the updates quick. Anyways, I hope you enjoy this chapter of Unbroken Bond.**

 _ **Chapter 7: Protect**_

(Brain's POV)

 _Impossible!_

I stand frozen in front of the lacrima, unable to comprehend Natsu's defeat. It was impossible for anyone to break free of the Nirvana's control! Just what kind of magic did that Celestial Wizard use to counter the darkness inside the boy's heart?

A burning sensation across my face reminds me of an even more terrifying problem. Now that all six keys are destroyed, the other personality inside me will finally take over.

' _No, no, this can't be happening!'_ I thought, my mind fogging up.

' _Oh yes, it is,'_ Zero's voice pierced through my head. I can barely separate his thoughts and feelings from mine. His anticipation and bloodlust bleeds through my fear. When Zero takes control, he will surely destroy all of Fiore, leaving nothing but debris left in its place. He will ruin my wonderful plan of reining the entire continent, just like that.

' _Well then, old friend, it's time to say goodbye to this world.'_

(Wendy's POV)

It's all my fault. If I hadn't resurrected Jellal, then the Nirvana wouldn't have been released from its seal. And now the Nirvana is going to destroy Cait Shelter. All because of me, everyone will suffer.

"Wendy," Carla said. "Don't blame yourself."

"Sorry, I got a bit carried away," I replied.

That's right, I need to stay strong and focus on finding Jellal. He might have a way to stop the Nirvana, as well as an explanation to his cruel actions up until now. I can't slip away into darkness so easily, not when everyone needs me.

Carla smiled approvingly when she sensed my resolve, but it seems forced somehow. I also noticed how her wings are trembling a bit, as if it's going to disappear at any second.

"Maybe we should take another break," I suggested.

"No, it's fine," she assured me. "We've rested plenty already."

"But-" I started to protest.

"Don't worry about it."

Carla seems so weak, yet she was willing to do so much for me. It pains me to know that there is nothing I can do for her in return right now. To me, she is like an older sister that is constantly protecting me, watching over me like a guardian angel. I silently vowed to her that I would also risk my life for her when – no, if – the time comes, though I know she would just fret over the matter if I told her outright. Somehow, a silent promise was forged between us through our time together.

"Wendy, look ahead!" Carla said.

Confused as to what she is talking about, I turned to see what she spotted. A color popped out, a _scarlet_ among the white of the clouds.

(Erza's POV)

I've been sitting here for hours with nothing to do. I wish my wounds can just heal already. The others still haven't come back yet, and with that black light that appeared some time ago, I can only hope that everyone is safe.

"Erza!" a girl's voice called out.

Jellal and I stood up, trying to locate the source of the voice. Somewhere in the back of my head, I feel like I know this voice, but who was it again?

A blue haired girl and a flying white she-cat emerged from the night sky. Both of them are looking completely worn out.

"Wendy!" I exclaimed, surprised by the sudden appearance of the little Dragon Slayer. "What are you doing here?"

She doesn't seem to hear me though. Instead, she was gazing at Jellal. Her eyes are shining with recognition and appreciation.

"Pardon me, but who are you?" Jellal asked politely.

Wendy seems taken aback by the man's words.

"Y-you don't remember me?"

"Ah, well, you see…" I barged in.

Jellal and I then proceed to explain how he had amnesia. Through all that, Wendy could only gape at us.

Something about this made me think of Mystogan, who looked identical to Jellal. Clearly, they don't seem to be the same person. It would be impossible to know who Jellal is unless she's been to the Towers of Heavens. Could it be that she met Mystogan, but didn't realize that this was a completely different person?

"Is there a way to stop the Nirvana?" Wendy suddenly asked.

I look at the girl sadly. "I'm sorry, but I don't know."

"N-no way! But what about Cait Shelter, and…" her voice faded and she fell to the floor.

"Wendy!" Carla cried.

After inspecting her pulse, we let out a breath. I suppose after all the stressful events, she's reached her limits. And with Wendy unconscious, we have no choice but to watch over her.

Great, more sitting around.

(Happy's POV)

Huh, where am I? Where is everyone? Gosh, everything is so dark here, I can't see a thing! Ouchy, my head hurts, and I feel like I'm gonna throw up. Oh right, I'm still affected by Cobra's poison, I forgot about that in all the commotion.

I tried to stand up, but to no avail. After a few tries, I gave up and sat on the ground. Everything is quiet. What happened while I was out?

Let's see, Lucy was carrying me as we ran towards the stage. Then we found a changed Natsu. At the thought of Natsu, my eyes started to water, but I blinked it away. I may be just a cat, but I can be strong too…I think. And after that…after that…I forgot?!

I hold my head in my paws – or hands. What type of cats walk on two feet anyways? – as I try to recall what happened.

Lucy was holding me when we encountered Natsu, and then my head hit something hard, like concrete.

"No way!" I spoke out loud. The realization striking me like lightning.

Did Lucy seriously drop me when she saw Natsu?! Just like that?! And the author didn't even give me the honor of spreading my wings and flying away! Argh, they must've blown me away as they were fighting.

I can't believe it! During the entire fight, I was just…sleeping?! I sniffed, was I not worthy of even being a supporting character in that fight? Ah, screw you, author!

 **I genuinely apologize, Happy. I kinda forgot about you there, so I had to transport you here. Well, it's not like you can hear me anyways… Well, to make you feel better, here!**

As steam was coming out of my head, a light lacrima lit the place I was in, and a piece of paper landed right on top of my head.

"Hmm, what's this?" I said as I take a look at it.

Wait, is this a map? More so, it's a map of the Nirvana! It even has a label indicating my exact location. Oh, thank lord for this gracious gift!

 **Welcome to the Visitor Center, built by the Nirvits when they were still living peacefully. And you're very welcome, Happy, for dropping you off at this place. Well, I'm leaving now!**

And with the help of the lacrima and the map, I set out to find my friends.

(Natsu's POV)

Whoever this Zero guy is, he's probably just as bad – if not worse – than Brain. It's not just his appearance and personality that changed, his smell was also different from before. Brain was a surgeon that carefully messed with someone's head, but his bastard is a butcher that would slaughter anyone in his path as long as they're alive and living. Brain had made me hurt those I love, and now his twin is going to pay the price.

"It seems that you have come to your senses," Zero said while carefully inspecting me.

I don't respond. I was so overcome with anger for this dude that made me turn on my friends.

"Not very welcoming, I see," his lips curl upwards, eyes narrowing.

"You're disgusting," Lucy's voice shook with hatred as she spoke.

Zero brushed off the insult, responding with indifference towards her. The man started towards us, his eyes locked on me. Though I hate to admit it, the way he looks at me gives me the chills. It took me a few seconds to realize that he was inspecting me with an odd amusement.

"What are you looking at?" I snapped, ticked off by his sudden interest in me.

Zero laughed manically. "I'm impressed that someone can actually break free of the Nirvana's forcible control."

No, he's wrong. I didn't come to my senses by my own power. I was so lost in darkness that nothing mattered to me except that voice in my head. Lucy was the one that had reminded me of who I was and broke the spell. If she'd given up on me, I would still be robbed of my free will and identity, which is why I've decided: I need to protect Lucy no matter what.

"But," Zero continued when I didn't respond, his eyes widening is ecstasy, "the dark energy in you was never released, was it?"

Those words were all I needed to feel fear, something I haven't felt in a long time.

Indeed, the answer was clear to all of us: No.

 **A/N Hello! I hope you enjoyed the little fourth wall breaking scene. Yes, I did forget to bring Happy back in the last few chapters, so I felt like I needed to do something about that. Nonetheless, I hope you enjoyed this chapter!**


	9. Chapter 8

**A/N Hi, readers! Welcome back once again to Unbroken Bond! This chapter is slightly shorter than the others, so I apologize for that. Starting now, the updates might not be as frequent due to school, but I still hope to update as fast as possible. Stay tuned!**

 _ **Chapter 8: Sorry**_

(Wendy's POV)

 _It's so dark…_

"Wendy…" a powerful but gentle voice called out to me.

I recognize that voice, a voice that I'll never forget.

"Grandine!" I called out.

Even with my closed eyes, I can sense the white wings of the Sky Dragon brushing my skin. A pleasant shiver is goes down my spine, bringing me back to the days when we were together. It's been so long since we've been together like this. I wanted to open my eyes and see the dragon for the first time in seven years, but Grandine put a wing out to stop me.

"Don't," she warned softly.

Everything about this moment is so relaxing that I kinda wanna just sleep…

"Where were you all these years, Grandine?" I asked, my words started to slur a bit.

"You'll find out eventually, this is not the time. But there's something else I need to tell you."

"Mmhmm…" My consciousness is drifting away.

"During our time together, I've never actually taught you offense magic, but I know that you'll need it eventually."

I'm too drowsy to respond this time.

"I don't have the time to teach you, hence you need to master the true art of Sky Dragon Slaying Magic by yourself. Now, our time is running out. This is goodbye, Wendy, but know that I will always be watching over you."

As she said those words, my eyes snap open to find Carla sitting beside me, looking far into the distance. Her brows were creased with worry, and her mouth is bent in a frown. Somehow, the cat still seems as beautiful as ever, even with her tense posture.

"Carla…?"

She looked at me and sighed with relief. Her facial features smoothed back, making her even more beautiful, if that's possible.

"Thank goodness you're awake!"

I rubbed my eyes, still a bit nostalgic from the dream. "What happened?"

"You fainted," she said simply, her voice indifferent, but some of the worry came back. "How are you feeling?"

"Ah, I'm fine…I think?" I responded. "How long was I sleeping for?"

"Only an hour or so."

"You're awake, Wendy!" Erza said behind me.

I push myself up and shake my head to clear it up a bit. As I turn around, I see Erza approaching me. Behind her was Jellal, who stayed put but nodded at me with an apologetic smile, which I returned.

"I'm sorry for causing you so much trouble," I do a little bow as a sign of my respect when I'm back up.

"Carla snorted beside me. "There you go again. I told you not to apologize so easily."

"Ah, sorry, I didn't mean t-!"

I cover my mouth as soon as I realized that I had apologized without meaning to do it. I just did exactly what Carla told me not to do. In response, she sighed at my failure.

"What am I going to do with you, Wendy."

(Lucy's POV)

"The dark energy in you was never released, was it?"

For reasons I can never begin to explain, I felt cold. It wasn't like the cold I felt when I was in Gray's body a few episodes ago, it was like watching a horror movie and getting goosebumps all over. The way Zero said those words, it sounded…malicious.

Zero began to laugh, again. "What, can you not answer or something?"

Natsu gritted his teeth, eyes narrowing. Without any warnings except the tightening of his muscles, he lunged at Zero.

"The Iron Fist of the Fire Dragon!"

Without so much as a flinch, he sidestepped to doge his attack. Natsu then swung out his foot, which collided with Zero's palm. Well, it's more like Zero _caught_ Natsu's foot, and threw him to a nearby building.

"Dark Capriccio."

A dark beam of magic is released from Zero's hand, blowing Natsu back another few meters.

"Natsu!" I screamed, running towards him.

"Do you see how weak you are without the Nirvana helping you? You're nothing but a little lizard to me right now."

"Why you little piece of sh-"

Natsu stopped mid-sentence and began to writhe in pain, forced into a kneeling position. Once again, I could only hold him in my arms, completely helpless.

"Do you see what I mean?" Zero taunted. "That lizard has been fighting the darkness unconsciously all this time."

This can't be happening. "N-no!" I yelled. "You're lying."

Zero put on his signature sneer. "Using his magic to attack me has only quickened the process."

Natsu screamed out in agony and clutched his head.

"Fight it, Natsu!"

W-what do I do in this situation? What _can_ I do? Is there anything I can do? Oh gosh, I'm panicking. I can't think straight. Natsu…what do I do?

A warm hand grabbed my wrist and I cried out in pain, or surprise, I can't tell in all this ruckus. I half expect to see Natsu, once again swallowed by darkness. But Natsu's eyes are still green, the passion in them never wavering.

"R-run away from me, Lucy!" he barely managed to say.

And with that, he shoved me away before letting out another scream. Meanwhile, I am torn between running back there and following his advice.

After a few more seconds, Natsu quiets down. Some of his pink hair falls to his eyes.

Everything is quiet now.

Natsu got up, his spiky hair shadowing his entire face, making his face unreadable.

In a blink, he was in front of me, grinning.

"N-Natsu…?" I whisper like a startled child.

(Natsu's POV)

Many people told me once that my temper would eventually be the downfall of me. I wish I'd listened to their advices. I was reckless, using my magic like that – no, wasting them.

"Run away from me, Lucy."

Those were empty words. She knows as well as me that I can smell her from miles away and find her easily. But I wanted to buy her some time before I…I do something to her. Dammit, if only I was stronger, then no one would need to suffer because of me.

' _Just give in, Natsu_ ,' that familiar voice echoed inside my head. ' _And you will feel much better.'_

' _Shut up,'_ I thought. ' _I won't give up'_

Another wave of pain pierced through my head, and I scream once again.

' _You're in no condition to fight back, so just accept me into your heart.'_

That voice is right. There's no point in fighting back when you can't win. So maybe I should just…

' _Surrender to me…'_ the voice said invitingly, calming me.

All at once, the colors vanished in the world that I have lost interest in. All that matters is that I need to obey that voice. I stand up, swaying a little before finally gaining solid footing.

' _Do you know your first target?'_

' _Yes.'_

The girl in front of me is going to be trouble, so I need to dispose of her. With my boosted speed, I appear in front of her, poised to snap her delicate neck.

"Natsu?" she said, her voice laced with fear. Something inside me starts to ache. Was it because of the fear in that girl's voice?

Well, she surprised enough to bring some sense into me.

"Go…" I said weakly.

I wince as Zero tried to regain control of me, but I was too weak to put up much of a fight this time.

' _I'm really sorry, Lucy…'_ I thought as the darkness smothers me again.

 **A/N Thank you for reading another chapter! I look forward to making the next one (and hopefully make it longer than this one). Bye!**


	10. Chapter 9

**A/N Hello, readers! I am so sorry I wasn't able to post a new chapter in such a long while. With school starting again, it's going to take me a while to complete a new chapter. I apologize for the inconvenience. Anyways, I hope you enjoy this new chapter.**

 _ **Chapter 9: Escape**_

(Happy's POV)

 _I don't get enough credit for this…_

I half walk, half stumble as I find my way towards the stage, where we first found Natsu. Well, I don't really want to go there, with Natsu being madly insane, but at least I'd find someone else there with me. I just hope that nothing goes wrong.

…

…

…

…

How long have I been walking for? It must've been at least an hour, right?

 **No, Happy. It's only been 4 seconds.**

Argh, how big is this place anyways?! Why can't I find – or hear – anyone?! I hope the group didn't just leave me behind. Wait, what if they did?! Oh, when I reunite with them, they are gonna get an earful! Especially Lucy for dropping me.

 **I doubt that, Happy…Unless you're planning on switching bodies with Erza again.**

Maybe it would be easier if I fly up to the top, but then again, I don't think I have enough magic to do that. I'm lucky enough to be able to somewhat walk, minus the first time I tried to stand up and failed. Somehow, my body can adjust a little bit to the poison inside me; maybe it's a merit of being a talking cat!

 **Oh, Happy, if only you knew who – or what – you really are…**

"Lucy, Gray!" I called in a desperate attempt to find someone here. "Where are you guys?"

In return, my echo calls back to me. Nothing else.

Suddenly, I hear a scream from the direction I am walking towards – more specifically, Natsu's scream. In fact, it didn't sound that far away.

My tow blue ears deflate a little as I let out a little whimper.

' _What is happening over there_?' I thought as I ran towards the center with as much strength as I could muster.

(Lucy's POV)

As Natsu appear in front of me with a vicious grin, I couldn't help but take a step back in fear.

' _He's gone, completely smothered by darkness!"_ a part of me thought.

I should be ashamed for thinking like that; instead, I was too panicked to have faith in the boy I loved, and still love.

"Natsu?"

The fear was clear in my voice. I flinch at my own tone, silently cursing myself for losing trust in Natsu, even if he's not himself right now.

Natsu froze, his eyes flashing back to its original color.

"Go," he murmured, sounding strained.

He fell to his knees, teeth gritted in what seems like a one-sided struggle for control inside his mind. Meanwhile, I slowly back away. Within seconds, I'm running away at full speed.

' _I'm sorry for leaving you, Natsu!'_ I thought as tears well up inside my eyes.

I hate myself for running away, for not being there to help Natsu – even though there _is_ nothing I can do for him.

" Lucy…" Natsu hissed from afar.

I nearly tripped – on nothing, might I add. The tears are coming faster now. He's gone. No longer is he protecting me – from himself and from Zero; he wants to rip me apart. I was so focused on putting one foot in front of the other that I didn't realize until it was too late.

"Found you," someone said gleefully beside me.

I screamed, startled by the voice, stepped back, tripped, and fell on to the pavement. I look up to see Natsu chuckling darkly, standing just a few centimeters away from where I was standing. Clearly, he seems to be enjoying the scene. I, on the other hand, am thinking frantically for a way out of this mess.

Before I can do anything, Natsu's arm lit on fire.

' _Oh, no,'_ I thought.

I used up all my magic a while back. If only I could summon a spirit, then I can buy some time for…for whoever else that is out there to find us.

"Natsu, this isn't you!" I pleaded, trying to keep all of my inner turmoil out of my voice.

He shook his head mockingly, and put on another one of his twisted grins. "This is exactly who I am, and who I _want_ to be."

"No, that's not true!" I insisted.

"It _is_ true," his grin grew wider. "And I can _kill_ you to prove my point."

Natsu drew closer, his hand reaching for my delicate throat.

"Say hello to _hell."_

(Natsu's POV)

Power is coursing through me; the power of the Nirvana. With its powers, I'll never run out of magic. As long as I do its biddings, that is.

Right now, I need to kill that blondie – no, I _want_ to kill her. She's such an easy prey, it wouldn't take much of my magic to destroy her.

Something inside me feels wrong, like it has a mind of its own. But it's suppressed by my ambitions and greed.

"Natsu, this isn't you!" the blondie begged.

I shook my head, silently laughing at the pitiful scene. That girl is covered in dirt and scratches, it's almost heartbreaking to see. Yet all she tries to do is spurt some nonsense. Seriously, I literally have no idea what she's talking about. But then again, all of this won't matter anymore; as soon as I kill that weakling, nothing else will matter. Just thinking about that fills my blood with excitement.

"This is exactly who I am and who I _want_ to be."

The despair in her eyes are so easy to read, I almost went into a fit of laughter. It was her fault for having such high hopes for an illusion. She's seriously delusional.

"No, that's not true!" she continued, though her eyes say otherwise.

It's entertaining to see her lose hope, considering how confident she sounded moments ago.

' _Lucy…'_ a whisper sounded from the back of my mind.

I stopped.

What is this feeling? Regret? Melancholy?

Sensing my agitation, Zero spoke into my head. ' _Kill her already!'_

I grin, ignoring those feelings welling up inside of me. "It _is_ true, and I can _kill_ you to prove my point."

Lucy looked at me, unshed tears watering her eyes. But I don't care, I don't _need_ to care. There is no connection between us, yet she was stupidly eager to believe that there was something good inside me. She is wrong, of course. I chose darkness over light, and it was worth it. It took away all the negative emotions in me. It changed those thoughts into power, capturing me with its energy. All it asks in return is my unwavering loyalty to my master.

I step forward, one arm reaching towards the girl's neck, itching to break it.

" Say hello to _hell,"_ I said, my hand almost reaching its destination. The girl seems to accept her fate, as she closes her eyes in defeat.

Time slowed.

Suddenly, a winged creature flew out from one of the buildings and charged at me, colliding with my forehead. I took a few steps back, caught off guard by the sudden attack.

"What the heck?!" I shouted, my blood boiling from the fact that some stupid flying cat had scared me.

Without a second's delay, the cat snatched my prey and flied away.

"Happy!" the blonde exclaimed, her eyes now open. For the first time in a while, she smiled.

Something about that smile disoriented me. I could only watch blankly as they flew further and further away from me.

' _What are you doing? Go after them!'_ Zero ordered me telepathically.

But it was too late. By the time l snapped out of my confusion, the two shadows were gone, covered up by the crimson sky.

 **A/N Well, that's it for today. Yes, I know, things are starting to get a bit boring, so I'll try to speed things up a little. I will try to update as soon as possible, but I know that it will take some time. Bare with me, everyone!**


	11. Chapter 10

**A/N Hello, readers! Welcome back to Unbroken Bond! For once, I finally updated at a time I'm actually happy with. Well, as always, I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

 _ **Chapter 10: Bloodlust**_

(Lucy's POV)

 _I thought I was done for…_

If it wasn't for Happy, Natsu would've killed me by now. Still, I'm surprised to find him here. But…

 _Why the heck is the atmosphere here so heavy right now?!_

"U-um, Happy…" I started.

He glared at me. "You dropped me on the floor, and then you forgot about me."

I put my hands in defence. "It…it was an accident!"

"Sure, it was~" He said, turning away with a frown – well, more like a pout.

I gulped, somewhat afraid of the cat's wrath. But an idea came to my head. "Tell you what, I'll buy you some fish when we go back to the guild."

At that, Happy's ears perked up, his eyes widening. When he turns toward me again, the hostility was replaced with a childish smile.

"Really?" he squealed.

"Mmhmm!" I nodded, glad that the mood is now a tad bit brighter.

We've been flying for a while now, with no particular destination in mind. Whenever I suggested to Happy that he should probably take a break, he would just glare at me. Well, I guess I can't necessarily blame him for getting angry at me. After all, I did forget about him completely, going so far as to drop him on the ground – by accident, of course, but still. Seeing what the Nirvana did to Natsu for the first time shocked me so much, nothing else made sense to me.

' _Natsu…'_ I thought.

With Zero in control of Natsu, I bet nothing good will come out of it. At least Brain wasn't this deranged maniac that only lusts for blood and death. Zero – on the other hand – will slowly torture us to death. He'll probably make Natsu kill everyone he loves just so that it's more entertaining. However, I won't let that happen, not if I can help it. Easier said than done, but I'll die trying when – if – the time comes.

"Hey, Lucy…" Happy prompted.

"Yeah, what is it?" I asked, pushing my depressing thoughts away.

He hesitated. "What happened while I was gone?"

And so, I told him. Everything from Natsu defeating Hoteye, Jura-san, and Gray, to those moments before Happy has rescued me. I skipped the part where we were kissing, a secret that I don't plan to share anytime soon.

"Oh, I see…" Happy pouted, closing his eyes.

I swear I saw is wings flicker out of existence, just for a split second, before appearing again.

"Happy," I said darkly. "We are landing."

His eyes snapped open. "Huh? Why?"

"You need to take a break."

"But- "

"NOW!" I half yelled, which I instantly regretted. "Sorry, I lost it for a second."

Though he seemed upset to be yelled at, he followed my advice and set me down in an old, broken building. As soon as we landed, his wings disappeared. Without his wings, he was now falling.

"Happy!" I cried, my arms out-stretched to catch him. When I look down at him, he was sleeping soundly, snoring a little as he blew a little bubble through his nose. I giggled at the sight, the tension inside me diminished a bit. But then he started to writhe in pain, gasping for breath.

I knew immediately what was wrong. Happy was fighting the Cobra's poison all this time.

' _Oh, Happy…'_ I thought as I looked at the exhausted cat.

If only Wendy was here. She can heal Happy, and maybe even Natsu. That's it, I'm going out to find her. I just hope that I don't bump into Natsu while I'm at it…

(Natsu's POV)

Damn it, where the heck are they? It's impossible to track them if they're flying in the sky. I mean, I could, but it's just a lot harder.

I sigh. I suppose I will need to find them eventually anyways.

' _Well, what are you waiting for?'_

' _Right away.'_

I grin. Those two brats are going to pay for taking off like that. I'll make sure of it.

' _Actually, before you leave, come to the stage.'_

Confusion swam inside my head, but I complied without another word.

…

As I got up to the stage, Zero turned towards me. Something shiny was glinting n his right hand. A knife.

"Here, take this," he said as he threw the knife towards me.

Catching the knife, I examined the gleaming weapon.

"You want me to kill the two with this?" I ask.

He smiled, and for some reason, the answer became clear. I suddenly felt an irresistible urge to kill that girl, to feel the blood of that girl, letting it cover my hands.

"Now go. And don't disappoint me this time."

"As you wish." I nodded before turning away.

I jump off the stage, not bothering to walk down the hidden staircase I used to get up there in the first place. Since I don't have a pocket to store my knife, I just hid it inside that thick scarf of mine.

It feels odd to have a weapon. Like, it feels wrong in a way. Even with the level of magic I had before – which was nothing compared to what I have now – I never needed another weapon to protect myself. Fire was enough to fend off most attackers. Plus, I'm no good at hand to hand combat or sword fights.

When it comes to fighting with knives and swords, no one is better than…

A sharp pain pierced through my head, forcing me on my knees. _What the hell?!_ It felt like there is some sort of mind block inside my mind. It blocking something; something like a…memory?

I shook my head. Never mind that. I need to focus on the task at hand, not some stupid déjà vu dojo that just randomly crossed my mind. It's going to take some effort to sniff out the two escapees, so I better get on that and not waste my energy on other stuff.

' _These two are seriously going to pay for wasting my time like this.'_

…

As the scents got stronger, I started to hear someone muttering. They were muffled, but clear enough to know that they come from a human, at the very least. The girl seriously isn't trying very hard to conceal herself, or she's just terrible at it, who cares. The thirst for death that was fading away before suddenly engulfed me once again. It tells me to kill, kill until no one is alive. It wants me to crave death, to enjoy it. It's ordering me to-

"Natsu!" a familiar voice called my name, snapping me out of my thoughts.

I look up to see the blonde teenager standing only a few meters away from me. The look in her eyes showed shock and fear and something else.

My bloodlust took control, and I lost it.

As the girl tried to run way, I sent out a blast of heat that knocked her off her feet.

"Do you really think you can run away from me?" I tilted my head and curled my lips into a smirk.

She watched in fear, helpless, as I approached her, shaking from head to toe.

"Please, Natsu…Don't do this," she cried, her voice shaking as much as her body.

I laughed. "What happened to all the bravery to had from before?"

Strange, that blue cat is nowhere to be found. Where did it go? Oh well, I'll look for it after I finish off the blondie.

I reach for my scarf and pull out the knife given to me. The blade was sharp, dying to be covered in the thick, crimson liquor. Though I've never held a knife before, it felt natural, just as much of an instinct as using my fire.

' _This is going to be easy peasy.'_

 **A/N Well, that's it for today! I hope to update around once a week, but I don't know for sure. The story is starting to come to an end, so I was wondering if I should do a Halloween Special Fanfiction. Tell me what you think! Anyways, thank you once again for reading this chapter!**


	12. Chapter 11

**A/N Hi, readers! Welcome back to Unbroken Bond! So far, I am keeping up with my schedule to update once a week. Well, enjoy this chapter!**

 _ **Chapter 11: Apologies**_

(Wendy's POV)

 _When it comes to fighting with knives and swords, no one is better than Erza._

"Wendy, can you please stop pacing?" Erza said with an extra emphasis on the word _please._

I looked at her. "Oh, I'm sorry! I didn't realize…" I trailed off.

The four of us – Erza, Jellal, Carla, and I – are currently waiting for those that went after Natsu-san. Until then, there is nothing I can do to protect my guild from the Nirvana's attack. I guess somewhere along the line, my nervousness started to act up and I began pacing, even though I wasn't aware in the slightest bit that I had done that. Not until Erza pointed it out.

Erza looked at me kindly and gave me a warm smile. "You don't have to apologize. I understand that you are worried about your guild. But don't worry, we will protect it at all costs."

She looks so confident, her shoulders squared and her head held high, eyes sparkling with undeterrable determination. The night breeze brushes through her hair, making her scarlet hair seem like an ocean dyed red. No wonder her nickname is Titania, the Queen of Fairies. Even Natsu-san and Gray-san seem to be fearful of her, even though they are both really strong.

I give her a small smile and cast my gaze downwards. "You're right, sorry."

At that, Carla snorted. "Would you refrain from using the word 'sorry' so frequently?"

"Ah, I didn't mean to!" I said frantically, taking extra caution in not apologizing. Sadly, I accidently added "sorry" in the end anyways, which caused me to clasp my hands to my mouth immediately.

Instead of scolding me, though, Carla just started laughing and I feel my cheeks flush red with embarrassment. I look over to Erza and Jellal, both of which are covering their mouths and trying – but failing – not to laugh out loud. My face is still burning hot, but I smile. Even if it's just for a little while, I allow myself to push all of my worries away and relax a little.

But in the back of my mind, I thought, ' _Please be back soon, Natsu-san!'_

(Gray's POV)

My entire body is aching like hell, all the way into my bones. I am lucky that my skin wasn't burned to crisps, and instead getting away with a few minor burns and scorch marks here and there. If it had been anyone else, nothing will be left of them except for ashes and bones. But being an Ice Wizard, I can create a thin layer of ice around my skin in a matter of seconds, which had protected me from most of the fire damage. However, having used pretty much all of my magic, I'm as well as dead – or useless, at the very least. Damn it, I can barely stand up!

That idiot, thinking he's so high and mighty now that he has the Nirvana giving him some extra power. It's annoying! Just reminding myself of that walking torch makes my blood boil. Hell, steam's gonna come out of head just by thinking about him! And Lucy, Natsu hurt her like she was nothing. Like all the time we spent together was just a dream too good to be true!

With pain-staking effort, I manage to open my eyes. As I do, my head explodes in pain, but I ignore it. Jura and Hoteye are still unconscious. If it wasn't for their breathing, I would've thought them dead. But other than those two, the area is completely empty.

The realization of that made me jolt up, which is immediately followed by more bursts of pain jumping from one nerve to the other. I had to bite my tongue to refrain from screaming out. As my body recovered, I looked up.

It seems that the Nirvana is still moving at the same pace as before, the constant sound of trees splitting open and the rumbling of the ground beneath reminds me of that. Lucy and Natsu are nowhere to be found. The only traces of those two were scorch marks that can be found all over the place. Signs of Natsu, to be exact. There are a few drops of blood that kinda blended in with all the tar and soot.

Fear spreads through my body. ' _Is that Lucy's?! No, that can't be…'_

Despite the tremendous pain I'm in, I force my body to stand up and move.

' _Lucy, don't you dare die.'_ I thought, ignoring the one thought that nags at my heart.

 _Unless it's too late._

(Happy's POV)

I wake up to find myself lying in a corner of a crumbling building. Alone. Again. The map that had led me to Lucy and Natsu was draped on to of me like a blanket. My first thought was that Lucy left me again, but knowing her, she wouldn't just leave me here for nothing. Right…?

I gently slap my face, clearing my head a little.

That's right! Lucy wouldn't just abandon me! She only forgot about me last time because of the shock of seeing Natsu!

A hoarse cough sounded from my throat, bringing attention to the fact that my face – no, my whole body – feels like it's burning. Did I develop a fever from over-exhausting myself or is that just an aftereffect of Cobra's poison? Whatever it is, it doesn't feel to good. Oh well, I'll just sleep while waiting for Lucy to return. Hopefully, Natsu won't find us here.

As I doze off, my mind is filled with the idea of eating fish when we go back to the guild.

(Lucy's POV)

Fear is taking up so much of my mind, I can't even think straight. Images of being tortured by Natsu occupies my brain, even though a small part of me is still faintly believing in Natsu.

The pink-haired boy advances, inspecting me with sadistic interest.

"N-Natsu, p-please don't…" I half-heartedly beg, despair already taking hold of my body, my will.

He only laughs at my pitiful state. "What happened to your bravery before?"

I don't answer. I didn't seem like he was looking for one anyways.

As he continues to come closer, his hand reaches for something underneath his precious scarf, pulling out a glinting knife.

' _So, this is it, huh?_ '

Strange…I thought I was prepared to die, but something keeps of poking at me.

There area still things I want to see, people I want to spend time with. I haven't even gotten to the part where I promised to save Natsu and cure Happy. And what about Wendy's guild? It's still in danger, and the world might as well be with the Nirvana out in the open. I can't say goodbye to this world yet, not with all these tasks left unfinished!

Unfortunately, it's too late.

By the time I made up my mind on wanting to live, Natsu is already upon me, ready to slit my throat open.

Ironic, isn't it? Just when I have a renewed desire to keep on living, my lover will take that liberty away. I grit my teeth, my eyes tightly shut. If only I was stronger, I could be of more use.

' _Don't give up, Lucy!'_ a chorus of voices call out to me from within my head.

I look up, startled. Then something pieced together inside my head. It was my Celestial Spirits calling out to me, encouraging me. My entire body warms up, like one would being in the center of a group hug. Looking at myself, I realize that I am glowing in a warm, golden light, as if my keys are evaporating into fairy dust. Suddenly, all my wounds and exhaustion faded away, leaving me feeling anew.

"What the hell?" Natsu said incredulously. He takes a step back, as if the light is burning him. The light reflected in Natsu's eyes was green. Could this light be affecting him as well?

"Lucy?"

Hearing that one word come out of his mouth made everything inside of me break. Without thinking, I closed the remaining distance between us and reached out to him, forgetting completely that he was still holding the knife. But right at that second, his eyes returned to that gaze of an unforgiving void.

Time slowed.

With the hand that he was holding the knife in, he jutted it out just a little so that my momentum can lead myself right into its sharp edge. Because of my excitement, I practically lounged myself towards Natsu, with no way to sop myself midway.

My eyes go wide, my smile dropping in fear and disappointment.

But right at that moment, the blade was flipped, the pointy edge facing its user. Instead of meeting my doom, I pushed he blade forward with my body. The feeling of shock I felt at that moment is greater than anything else.

Not knowing what to do, I cried out. "Natsu!"

 **A/N Thank you for reading another chapter of Unbroken Bond! And don't worry, I won't kill off any characters in this story. Star tuned!**


	13. Chapter 12

_**Chapter 12: Welcomes**_

 **(Lucy's POV)**

 _No…this can't be happening!_

"Natsu!"

The sharp blade was thrusted into his stomach, crimson liquid leaking out. Without any warnings, Natsu fell to his knees, his hand never leaving the handle of the knife. I fall with him and out my hands on his shoulders. His breathing, I realize, is uneven. Partly from pain, but also something else…

"Natsu?" I call again, this time more wary than afraid.

His shoulders start to shake, causing me to jerk my hands away in shock. I hear him say something, but it was too muffled to make out he words. At first, I thought he was silently crying out in pain; I couldn't tell because of the way he was holding his head down. But then, I realized he wasn't. Instead, he was laughing.

"I can't believe it!" he exclaimed. "He actually stabbed himself!"

With a start, I felt something different from Natsu. Bloodlust still radiated off of him, but it was less pronounced, almost like hearing someone speak from a communication lacrima.

I gasp when I figured out what was wrong.

"Zero…" I growl, my anger barely kept in control.

' _How is it possible for Zero to speak through Natsu's body?!'_ I wondered.

"Bingo." Even though I can't see Natsu's face, I can hear the amusement in those words.

"What are you doing in his body?" I demanded.

Zero chuckled. "I'm only talking through his body while he's unconscious. Sadly, I am not in control of the rest of his body."

Though I didn't show it, my mind relaxed a bit at the fact that Zero won't be able to hurt anyone using Natsu – for now, anyways. I'm pretty sure he's had enough of being manipulated by this bloodthirsty villain.

Taking advantage of the silence, Zero continued. "How much time do you think you've spent on the Nirvana?"

Despite the situation, I actually considered his words. "I don't know, maybe – like – five or six hours?" I said impatiently.

I can almost imagine his head shaking when he clicked his tongue. "It seems like our little Celestial Wizard here doesn't have a very good sense of time."

My eyes narrow, even though there's nothing for me to physically glare at right now. "Just get to the point, Zero."

Laughing, he answered. "Figure it out yourself…if you can, that is. Now, if you'll excuse me, I will be leaving this boy to you. He's useless to me now."

"Hey, wait!" I called, now worried about whatever he was hinting at.

Then I remembered a conversation I had with Midnight; what felt like a lifetime ago.

" _Oh, and for your information, Father is going to destroy Cait Shelter, which is straight ahead. Though that's going to take half a day to reach."_ That was what he had said.

I had completely forgot about that. Wendy's guild is still in trouble! That reminds me…wasn't Erza and Jellal waiting for us back there? Crap, I forgot about them too! They must be really worried right now. And how am I going to explain what happened with Jura-san, Hoteye, Gray, Natsu, _and_ Happy's conditions? I'm the only one who isn't physically hurt – thanks to my Celestial Spirits, but I can't really say the same for everyone else. Now would be a great time to have Wendy and her Sky Dragon Slaying powers to heal us all. No, before that, I have to get _this_ problem right here sorted out.

I look at the pink-haired boy in front of me with fear and longing. After all that has happened, I'm not sure which side of Natsu I'm going to see. Is he going to wake up as Natsu, or Zero's servant? Nevermind that, I gotta do what I gotta do.

"Natsu?" I gently shake him, careful not to move his lower body, where the wound is still leaking blood. I sense that Zero did leave Natsu's subconsciousness, but somehow, I'm still wary, considering that he could just wake up as a sadistic maniac again despite Zero's claims. He could be lying for all I know. I quickly push those thoughts away.

A pained groan sounded from his mouth, which then turned into a pained hissing sound.

"Oww…" he moaned when he was finally able to form words.

I couldn't help myself. Hearing is voice, the tone of it, was a relief. Even being half-dead and pretty much helpless, he's still able to sound like the Natsu I know and love. Not really caring that he was wounded, I crashed on top of him and hugged him.

(Natsu's POV)

Now I finally know what it feels like to be tackled to the ground by a hug while a knife is still kinda sticking out of my stomach. Not very pleasant, as you can probably imagine. In fact, it's so painful, I cried out in agony as soon as Lucy and I made contact with each other. The ache was then intensified when my back hit the ground and her body practically pushed the silver blade further into my flesh.

Realizing what she's done, Lucy immediately sat up. When I opened my eyes, she was blinking rapidly at me, as if she's just remembered that I kinda have one foot in the grave.

"A-ah, Natsu! I'm so sorry, I got a bit too…excited back there," she sputtered.

I try to smile, but the pain turned it into a grimace instead. "Is this my punishment for doing all those hurtful things to you?"

Even though my tone was teasing, we both sobered up at the thought of everything that had happened. Thanks to that ray of light, Zero's control over me slipped, and that was enough time to do something about myself, who was on the verge of murdering Lucy. At that time, I guess the only thought that came to my mind was stabbing myself. Now it hurts like hell.

"H-how 's your wound?" Lucy asked, breaking the silence.

"Eh, it's no big deal, "I replied, trying to sound nonchalant.

Lucy stood up and began to walk towards me. "What are you talking about?! Of course it's a big deal!"

"W-what are you going to do?!"

Without hesitation she grabbed the knife handle and pulled it out. What followed was blood, a lot of it. I gagged at the sight of my own blood and covered my mouth with the back of my hand.

Lucy is clearly uncomfortable at seeing the blood spilling out of my stomach, but she ignored the feeling to the best of her abilities.

"H-how are you so calm?!" I asked her, exasperated.

She glanced at me. "I'm used to seeing blood. I come in contact with it every month." Winking at me, she grabbed some gauze from her pant pockets.

"Where the heck did you get that?"

She shrugged. "I don't know, maybe Virgo put these into my pockets when she saved us from falling off the waterfall."

I shook my head and muttered. "Girls…"

Lucy shot me an annoyed glare and proceeded to unbutton my coat to take a better look at my wounds.

"It's a miracle that your coat didn't burn away when you set yourself on fire," she noted absently.

"Maybe because they were brought here from the Spirit Realm, the clothes had some special resistance to fire magic?" I suggested.

She smiled. "Yeah, that could be the reason why."

And we went on and on, talking about whatever came to our minds as Lucy patched my wound up. We managed to evade the topic of Zero and all the people I hurt while being under the control of him. Still, I can't shake off the guilt. People were hurt because I wasn't strong enough to resist the darkness. I let it overwhelm me. It was all my fault.

"Natsu?" Lucy asked, snapping me out of my thoughts.

"Oh, uh…what?" I blinked at her. "What were you talking about?"

She gave me a sad smile. "Are you okay, Natsu?"

"Yeah! I'm…fine," I lied, but then thought better of it. "Well…no, actually."

"Well, I wouldn't mind lending you an ear," she offered.

I sighed. "It was all my fault that things turned out his way. I-I let the darkness get to me, I let it corrupt me! And here you are, treating me as if I never hut you!"

Before I could say any more, Lucy planted a kiss on my lips, silencing me. As shocked as I was, I returned her kiss, pulling her into an embrace.

"Don't ever think about yourself in that way," Lucy whispered when we pulled away. I might've imagined it, but it seems like there's also something on her mind.

I opened my mouth to point that out, but a sudden movement on my left caught my attention. I got out of the way just in time to see an ice spear hit the spot I was standing at a few moments ago.

 **A/N Well, that's it for this chapter. Sorry it's a bit short, I'm trying to get better at writing longer chapters, but it's taking a while… Oh well, I'll get there eventually. Also, I have a poll set up since I'm wondering if I should do Halloween Special fanfiction or not. If you're interested, please check it out. You can find it in my profile. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this chapter!**


	14. Chapter 13

**A/N Welcome back to Unbroken Bond, readers! Just a reminder, the poll for whether I should do a Halloween Special is still up, so be sure to check it out at my profile page! Anyways, I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

 _ **Chapter 13: Reunion**_

(Natsu's POV)

 _This is just great..._

I stare at the ice spear that I barely managed to dodge with a strange type of detachment. Even though there are two ice users here on this mission, I know immediately who this magic belonged to. after all, _he_ specialized in making inanimate objects; a spear is no exception.

"Is this spear..." Lucy started, but her voice faded away in confusion.

Before I could confirm her suspicions, another voice cuts me off.

"You bastard!" the voice was filled with enough anger to make me flinch. No doubt that anger is directed at me, and I could probably guess what that was all about.

I turn my head and barely dodge - again - Gray, who charged at me like a bull. His entire body was covered in scorch marks, and I look away in guilt.

' _That must've hurt,'_ I thought, faintly remembering the time when I was burning Gray mercilessly while Lucy was begging me to stop.

"W-wait, Gray! Stop!" Lucy shouted for Gray to stop just as he was about to lunge at me again.

"Huh?!" he growled. **..? I don't know what else to call it. You know, like the way he always says his "huh", I guess. Anyways, read on.**

Gray looked at me, and I guess he kinda understood the situation. Still, he looks just as pissed as he did a moment ago, which I take as a bad sign. Well, I can't blame him. Nobody would be glad to have their own friend turn against you, let alone almost burn you to crisp, even if it was against their own will.

"Calm down, Gray!" Lucy yelled.

Not listening to her at all, he pounced at me. But this time, I didn't dodge. Instead, I stood my ground and waited for his fist to connect with my poor jaw. Sure enough, my jaw started aching real bad.

"Are you satisfied yet?" I ask, rubbing my jaw to ease the pain a little.

Gray smirked. "I can't believe I was beaten by someone like you."

I return the smirk with one of my own and held out a hand. "How 'bout a rematch when we get back?" I challenged him.

He took my outstretched hand and shook it with resolve, leveling me with unwavering eyes. "You bet!"

And there was Lucy, who looked like she was just relived that the fight was over.

(Lucy's POV)

I sighed in relief when Natsu and Gray made up with each other. After having to deal with so many things, the last thing I would want is to have my friends fight against one another again, _especially_ because everything has finally gone somewhat back to normal. Now we just need to defeat Zero and stop the Nirvana one and for all, which I have no idea how to do. And whatever we need to do, we have to do it fast. Based on what Zero hinted at, time is running out.

Which reminds me...

"We need to meet up with Happy," I pointed out. At least I didn't forget about Happy this time - something I'm actually proud of doing, thank you very much.

Gray's eyes widened at the thought of Happy.

"Oh yeah, where did he end up at anyways?"

The pride I had a second ago vanished. And I looked away, embarrassed. "A-ah, who knows? I just kinda found him lying around..." I lied, not wanting to deal with all the questions - or so, that's my excuse. "C'mon, let's get going."

I took off before they could ask any other questions, not looking back. They probably will follow anyways.

 _'I hope Happy doesn't end up getting mad at me again for leaving him all alone,"_ I silently prayed.

(Happy's POV)

When you're a cat - magical or not, the best thing that can happen to you is having all the fish in the entire world given to you anytime of the day, just like a royalty. That is exactly what I'm seeing right now. Fish. Everywhere. Around. Me. And the best thing is: no one is here to stop me from gluttonously eating the fish! Oh my gosh, I'm in heaven right now!

And then someone shakes me awake...the heaven is no more.

I wake up with drool on my mouth, and reality crashes into me. The fish...it was all just a dream?!

 **Imagine Happy with a shocked look on his face and his heart breaking at the thought of his too-good-to-be-true dream.**

As I was busy mourning (on the inside) for the loss of fish, the same person who shook me awake spoke.

"Oh, you're finally awake!"

Even without looking up, I know who that voice belongs to. My immediate reaction was to freeze, fear taking over my little cat brain. But there was a warmth in it that I _could not_ forget. Ever. Tilting my head upwards, I saw Natsu grinning at me, not one of a predator, but of a friend, a partner. Not able to hold down my joy, I summoned my wings and jumped at Natsu.

"Natsu!" I cried, tears streaming down my cheeks.

He looked down at me apologetically. "Sorry to worry you, Happy."

Another voice coughed, as if to get our attention. I look over to see Gray.

"Sorry to break the moment, but we should head back to Erza soon," he said matter-of-factly. Oh, right. I completely forgot that we left Erza and Jellal to go and reunite with Natsu. They must be really worried right now. And we still need to go ahead and save Carla and Wendy's guild - maybe Carla will like me more if I save her guild from utter destruction.

I guess the realization on my face is clear enough, since no one needed any further explanation for me. Just as we were about to leave, Natsu suddenly stopped, and we stopped with him.

"What's wrong, Natsu?" Lucy asked quietly, as if trying to keep her voice neutral.

Natsu cocked his head to one side, as if trying to hear something we couldn't After a long pause, he said. "Someone's using telepathy."

For a moment, the rest of us were confused, but then, a voice pooped up inside my head, loud and clear, as if we were talking face to face.

 _"Hello? Can anyone hear me?"_ a familiar voice resonated withing my brain.

"Hibiki?" Lucy said out loud, but I could still hear her telepathically.

" _Yeah, it's me. Listen, I think I found a way to destroy the Nirvana!"_ he said.

 **I'm so sorry for another interruption. I just want to let you know that I will be skipping over the telepathic conversation since it pretty much stays the same (and because I'm lazy). Just so you know, after the Author's Notes end, the story takes place after the telepathic conversation, where Natsu is heading towards Zero (Lacrima #1). Anyways, enjoy reading the rest of the chapter!**

(Natsu's POV)

There's a reason why I decided to choose the first lacrima After everything I did, I _have_ to do something to redeem myself. Thanks to my nose, I can smell Zero's stench from miles away. I swear he's going to pay for making me hurt my comrades and those I have sworn to protect.

' _You better be ready for me, Zero."_ I thought.

...

As I go through the other side of the dark tunnel, that horrible smell of Zero became stronger and more distinct. Gosh, how did I ever yet used to that smell?!

"Glad you could make it," Zero said in that disgusting voice of his when I reached the end of the tunnels.

"Shut up," I growl, my eyes narrowing and my hands lighting on fire.

Let the fight begin.

 **A/N Well, that's it for this chapter! Sorry that this chapter was a bit short... In the coming chapter, there's probably a time skip during the fight between Zero and Natsu, due to the similarities with the anime (again, I'm lazy to write it all out). So that's something to look forward to! Anyways, I hope you liked this chapter and thank you for reading!**


	15. Chapter 14

**A/N Hello, readers! Welcome to the final chapter of Unbroken Bond! Yeah...I realize that this fanfiction is rather short, sorry about that. Also, I'll probably start another story soon enough, so look forward to that. Well, I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

 _ **Chapter 14: Teamwork**_

(Erza's POV)

 _Finally, something interesting is happening!_

 _"Listen, I found a way to destroy the Nirvana!"_ Hibiki had said.

He then proceeded to explain everything else. Apparently, we need to destroy the six lacrimas embedded in each of the Nirvana's "legs" at the same time. To help us with the timing, Hibiki uploaded a timer into our minds; we only have 20 minutes to finish this quest. I do realize that we barely have anymore time. Thanks to Blue Pegasus' Christina, we were able to evade one attack delivered to Cait Shelter. But judging by the sound of it, Hibiki and the others can't keep Christina up in the air for any longer. Dammit, there's no time to waste.

I can only hope that everyone will get to their designated lacrima soon and safely, especially Natsu. Knowing him, he's probably picked the most dangerous one; the one Zero is at. I wonder where they were all this time, keeping us waiting for so long. Well, at lease Natsu didn't end up meeting Jellal - thank goodness for that. He would've beat the hell out of Jellal without any retaliation from him. But then again, Jellal was acting strange ever since he heard Natsu's name. I guess I can't really do anything about that now.

As I near the tunnel entrance I stopped to take a deep breath and mentally prepare myself. This is it. If I somehow fail, then it's game over for everyone. No, I will not let that happen. I will protect Cait Shelter - the Nirvits - to the best of my ability, even if it costs me my life.

' _Please let everyone else be safe,'_ I prayed as I walked through the dark tunnel.

(Wendy's POV)

I wonder why Jellal asked me to take care of the sixth lacrima instead of him. It probably has something to do with Natsu-san, maybe helping him in case he does end up encountering Zero, though I don't know why he's so keen on helping him... Just what on Earthland happened to between the time we were apart?

"Wendy, do you think you'll be able to handle that lacrima by yourself?" Carla asked, breaking me out of my deep thoughts.

Looking down, I replied, "I...I don't really know." I looked at Carla and continued in what I hope was a strong, determined voice, covering up my nervousness. "But I need to try."

Sadly, Carla wasn't fooled by my half-hearted courage, because she rolled her eyes at me and said, "You don't need to pretend to be brave, especially with me.

Feeling like a mouse caught stealing something, I looked away shamefully before Carla can see blood rushing to my face. In the process of doing so, I tripped on a rock and fell face first onto the hard concrete.

"Ouch!" I moaned, rubbing my aching forehead. I wish I have more magic left so I can heal myself, but I have to save it for the lacrima.

"Oh dear, are you okay, Wendy?" Carla ran up to me and said, a concerned look on her face.

Closing my eyes, I sucked in a breath and exhaled, calming myself down before I lose control and start crying. When I open my eyes, I gave Carla a weak smile. "Y-yeah, I'll be okay."

Carla looked at me like she has something else to say, but she just sighed. "Alright, then. Come on, let's not waste anymore time then."

That's right. Everyone is fighting for the same thing: protecting my guild. They aren't even in my guild, but they're trying so hard for my sake. I need to be strong as well, just like them.

I pick Carla up in my arms and stood up.

' _I can't fail - no, I won't fail. I need to protect my guild, just like what everyone else is doing.'_

 _(_ Narrator's POV)

And so, everyone made their way towards their designated lacrima. Natsu picked Lacrima One, where Zero was waiting at. Some time later, Jellal joined the frenzy and aided Natsu in his battle with Zero. In his stead, Wendy took over the task of destroying the sixth lacrima, thus awakening her real power as the Sky Dragon Slayer.

Lucy, having used up all of her power on her keys and healing herself, is now powerless. Luckily, Gemini offered to help her out, acknowledging the fact that Lucy is a true Celestial Wizard that is kind and passionate about her position. And with both of their magic combined, they can break the lacrima.

Meanwhile, Natsu is struggling to finish Zero off before the timer runs out. But at the last second, Natsu manages to change the tide and destroy the lacrima right as the timer ran out. With everyone else ready to do the same, the Nirvana's power source is now gone.

* * *

(Natsu's POV)

Well, that took more work than I expected. And plus, I'm still a bit confused about the apple in my head that showed me the exact time that I needed to destroy the lacrima. I'll make sure to ask that guy from Blue Pegasus later. For now, I'll just go and reunite with the others.

...

"Natsu!" Lucy cried in joy when she saw me, running towards me and crashing on top of me again.

"Ow! Lucy, my wound is still not completely healed yet!" I grimaced.

Knowing that, she stepped back with her hands covering her mouth. "Oh, I'm so sorry!"

"Nah, it's no big deal." I said, waving a hand in the air.

Slowly, one by one, the others showed up as well. That includes Gray, Jura, Ichiya, Wendy, and Erza. As soon as Erza arrived, her eyes were dead set on Jellal, a hint of warmth and longing in her eyes.

"Where were you guys?" Erza asked Lucy, turning her attention away from Jellal.

"Oh! Um...well, you see...it's a long story," Lucy stuttered, as if reluctant to tell Erza what happened. I can't blame her for that.

"It's all because of this idiot right here," Gray answered for Lucy, nodding his head towards me.

"It's all because of Natsu?" Erza questioned, a confused look on her face.

"Yeah...it's a long story," Lucy said.

As Lucy and Gray took turns explaining what happened while we were gone, I kept quiet. After everything, I still feel guilty for my actions, even if I wasn't really in control of it in the first place.

"And yeah, that's the gist of it," Gray concluded.

"I see," Erza said, a thoughtful look on her face.

I gulped, not knowing if Erza was gonna get mad at me or not. I sure hope that's not the case...

Before any of us have a chance to say something else, a group of people appeared.

"Oh great, the Magic Council," I heard Gray mutter under his breath.

"We have come here to detain the members of Oración Seis." the leader - I think his name was Lahar? - declared.

Jura looked at Hoteye, who apparently turned good due to the Nirvana's influence.

"Of course," Hoteye said calmly, despite Jura's background protests.

"And another thing," Lahar turned to Jellal. "We need to bring _him_ along as well."

Erza's eyes widened at the comment, but remained quiet.

Without saying anything else, Jellal nodded at Lahar and walked towards the carriage-looking thing.

 **Yes, yes, I know. I've been skipping quite a lot of fight scenes, sorry about that... But well, I'll be skipping the part where Natsu attacks the Magic Council members in order to prevent Jellal from being captured, as well as the part where we find out that Cait Shelter is actually just a illusion. Anyways, enjoy the last little bit of the story!**

* * *

"God! Natsu, can you try not to throw up?" Gray commented, disgusted by my motion sickness.

"I don't understand! You were fine on the Nirvana, so why not now?" Lucy added.

"Well, I don't either!" I shot back, frustrated.

"Here, let me help!" Wendy offered. "I can use Sky Dragon Slaying magic to help you cope with motion sickness."

"Yeah, thanks, Wendy!" I managed to say before gagging again.

After we left Cait Shelter - or rather, what was left of the Cait Shelter, we offered Wendy to stay at Fairy Tail. But of course, we _had_ to use a boat to get back to the guild. Agh, I can't wait to get off this _monstrosity._

 **And so, Natsu, Lucy, Erza, Gray, Happy, Wendy, and Carla made their way to Fairy Tail, where a new set of adventures will be introduced to them. Though many things happened - good and bad things. But what was left of it was a bond strengthened by betrayals, a history never to be forgotten.**

 **A/N Hello, readers! I'm really sorry that this fanfiction is so short. Maybe I'll try to improve on my next fanfiction. Thank you so much for following the development of Unbroken Bond. If there's anything you want me to improve on, please write a comment! Once again, thank you for reading Unbroken Bond!**


End file.
